Virtual School Enrollment Increases as Experts Debate Staying Power

Feb 23, 2022, 8:22 PM

(From The Washington Post) In many states, virtual charter schools drove the outsize growth in charter school enrollment during the 2020-2021 academic year, according to a report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Oklahoma, for instance, saw a 77% increase in its charter school population as more students enrolled in for-profit virtual charter schools. More recently, North Carolina state lawmakers passed legislation lifting the enrollment cap on two statewide virtual charters. Experts say state lawmakers and charter operators have laid the groundwork for a more expansive virtual charter sector that could outlast the pandemic.